I’ve asked Tony DeKoter, principle at Quisqueya Christian School in Port Au Prince, Haiti, to share his reflections on the readings for this week. Tony and Mary have been serving in Haiti for three years, you can read more at their blog, Hope For Haiti.
Psalm 30
Once again David is in communion with God.In life and in death, Jesus is the light of my salvation. In the good times and in the times of despair, sickness, close to death, I need to talk with the Lord. At all times I need to sing His praises for He is my Deliverer. With Him I can do all things but when His presence is not in my vision, I am lost. Then God is not praised. God faithfulness can’t be told when I am dead in my sins.
Why am I here was a question of one staff member this week? He just moved off the campus into a house up the mountain. Someone poisoned his dogs. A week later they broke into his house and stole his inverter while the family was asleep! No minutes on his phone to call others for help. Clutch on the car broken. Three family members sick with the possibility of malaria. Will his destruction bring praise to the Lord? Will this story bring the story of God’s faithfulness? Oh God, be his help! May you turn his mourning to gladness and may he see where you have brought him and his family in a time like this. May he feel and know that during this dark valley that You are taking care of him. The weeping may be for the night, but joy comes in the morning, but that morning may not be until we enter the fullness of His kingdom.
Thank You for the fellowship of believers to come to his aid, being Your hands in times like this so together we can sing songs of praise. You continue to bring to Your people because You give them the strength.
I need to speak often with the Lord. In my joys and in my sorrows I need to talk with my Lord since it is He who will provide the joy in my life. It is He who will give the joy, turning my downcast look into the upward look. Where does my help come from?
I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.
Refrain:
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.
My favorite part of today’s scripture is:
2 O LORD my God, I called to you for help
and you healed me.
I have cried out to God, and He has healed me. God is so good!!!!!!!!
nothing compared to what is coming!
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 30
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favour lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. [Psalm 30:5] Its hard to have this big picture perspective when everything seems to be going against us. David does not get to build the temple, yet he writes this psalm of faith, because he believes that God’s presence (symbolized by the temple) WILL be established one day. His own setbacks, his own failures, his own death cannot stand in its way.
Through this psalm, David is urging others to cling to the ‘resurrection’ hope (life after death, hope after grief, joy after sorrow). He uses his own testimony to back this up [in Ps 30:8-10 he recalls a time of need, and how the Lord came through at that time]. His message, death and sorrow and struggle do not, will not have the last word; they will be short-lived, but God’s blessing will last forever!
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” [John 11:25-26] Jesus urges Martha to cling to resurrection hope too. Not even death (‘even though he dies’ … ‘will never die’) can overcome God’s forever joy and blessing. Then the question, “Do you believe this?” Remember, Lazarus is still dead at this moment, and he wants her to believe it BEFORE she sees it.
Can I? Will I? Will I, like David, trust that God’s presence and victory will be established on earth, even if I don’t see it, even if I die first? This is a God-confidence that is greater than whatever comes against me. “Do you believe this?” It’s a change in perspective. We look at life now as the main thing, but this is just a brief prelude in the neverending story of God’s love, and our place in it. Compared to eternity, our 50-90 years is nothing, a speck.
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favour lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. [Psalm 30:5]
PRAYER:
Lord, my life is in Your hands, and that includes the neverending part of it, my forever future. I can endure the weeping, knowing that the rejoicing is still to come!